Carney declines to call Snowden a ‘traitor,’ wants probe to proceed

White House press secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday said the administration would wait for the investigation into Edward Snowden to “proceed” before commenting, sidestepping questions on whether he would characterize the National Security Agency (NSA) leaker as a “traitor.”

He added that the "appropriate posture" is to allow investigators to do their work without interference. Carney said it was "up to investigators to determine whether or not crimes have been committed" and what charges to bring.

Snowden, a 29-year old Defense contractor, claimed responsibility for the NSA surveillance leaks in a video released on Sunday. The former Booz Allen Hamilton contractor travelled to Hong Kong before stories revealing the NSA's secret programs monitoring calls and Internet traffic were published.

The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the leak.

The White House is facing pressure both from lawmakers praising Snowden for his disclosures and those who want him arrested for revealing security secrets.